Exclusive: 2021 Ford F-150 lands in Australia for evaluation

A 2021 Ford F-150 Lariat 4x4 has been brought into the country as Ford Australia considers adding the pick-up to its local line-up.

4X4 Australia can exclusively reveal images showing that the F-150 has been flown into Australia by Ford, as the company’s local arm looks to claw back market share from the likes of Ram and Chevrolet.

The popularity of full-size American pick-ups has grown in recent years, with many Australian buyers choosing to purchase Ford F-Trucks from smaller importing companies with aftermarket right-hand-drive conversions.

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It appears Ford Australia is now considering offering the F-150 here – likely investigating the need to convert the utes to right-hand-drive once they land in the country.

The F-150 pictured is a Lariat – a mid-range variant with leather and dual-zone climate control – optioned with the chrome appearance package, 20-inch 'chrome-like' PVD wheels, and four-wheel drive.

Buyers in the US can choose from a 2.7-litre turbo-petrol V6, a 3.5-litre turbo-petrol V6 with or without hybrid assistance, or a 5.0-litre petrol V8, with both rear-wheel or four-wheel drive available. All engines are coupled with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

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It’s understood the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 option was dropped from the line-up in July – likely to help differentiate the F-150 from the upcoming 2022 Ford Ranger, which is rumoured to be using the engine.

The side-exit exhaust pipe behind the right rear wheel suggests the model brought to Australia is indeed the V8 – however, given Australian buyers’ love of diesel engines, the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel Power Stroke V6 cannot be entirely discounted.

If the Ford F-150 was offered locally, as well as the obvious competitors from Ram and Chevrolet, it’s expected the vehicle would be positioned as an alternative to the recently-released 2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.

A spokesperson for Ford told 4X4 Australia the company does not have any news to share about plans to bring the F-150 to our shores.